Embassy News

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Of State Steven Mann Returns to Turkmenistan

PAS No 186
July 13, 2007

From left to right: PDAS Steven R. Mann, along with delegation member Robert Garverick, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Turkmenistan, Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland and DAS Matthew Bryza, speaking at a reception

Ashgabat, July 13, 2007 – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Steven Mann continued the recently expanded U.S.-Turkmenistan dialogue on economic and energy sector cooperation during his three day visit that ended today.  Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza was also part of Ambassador Mann’s delegation.  Bryza held substantive and encouraging talks about assisting Turkmenistan’s commercial cooperation with the countries in the Caspian region and beyond. 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Steven R. Mann joined the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in May 2006 following his service as the State Department’s Senior Advisor for Eurasia.  He is responsible for a broad range of foreign policy issues in South and Central Asia, including region-wide energy issues.  Mann served as U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan from 1998 to 2001.  Deputy Assistant Secretary Bryza is responsible for energy security policy in Europe, as well as relations with the countries of the South Caucasus, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.  Before his current assignment he was at the National Security Council of the White House where he was responsible for countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Turkey and Greece, and Caspian energy issues.  Previous to his National Security Council Assignment, he worked with Ambassador Mann on Caspian Energy Issues.